A Father's Story
by LittleItaly08
Summary: One shot on the birth of Kenji. I wanted to write it so I did Enjoy!


I do not own the characters from Rurouni Kenshin nor Samurai X. Please read, enjoy, and review!

* * *

It was late into the night. It was dark outside with the new moon, but the stars lit the sky. All was quite, save for the occasional chirp of the crickets.

Inside the dark dojo, a light was lit from one of the rooms and the sound of a sliding door was opened.

"Kaoru?"

Himura Kaoru. She was sitting up in their futon bed wearing a sleeping yukata. Ebony hair was braided and tossed over her shoulder. She looked at her husband with her doe brow eyes. Her porcelain skin glowed, her face flushed. "Kenshin," she smiled.

"I have tea for you," Kaoru smiled at her husband as he handed her the cup of steaming green tea. Within the lavender, she could see how his eyes glowed with pride. His red hair was slightly messed from getting up so late/early. His scar; a faded reminder of what he once was.

Himura Kenshin. Before he would have never known true happiness like he does now. Sitting behind her to help support her; Kenshin's hands slid around Kaoru's ever expecting belly. She leaned into him, feeling the first of the contractions come and go like a soft wave. She had woken up an hour ago to a wet futon. Kenshin had calmly called for the midwife, but inside he was itching with the want to jump up and down and cry to the world in happiness. Their baby was finally coming.

"Hello? Sir Kenshin?"

"We're here Miss Megumi,"

A few seconds until the door slid open and the young Takani Megumi stepped in. She smiled down at her two friends and seated herself next to Kaoru; setting her medical bag down beside her. She then took Kaoru's hand.

"Although I've assisted, I'm not skilled in childbirth. But I brought medicine to ease any pain," she said in her silky voice. "I saw the midwife earlier. She should be here soon, but there's no need to rush, we've got plenty of time,"

"How long could this take?" Kaoru asked curiously, having next to no knowledge of childbirth- save for the fact she was going to have one. Megumi smiled.

"It could take as long as ten hours to as short as a half an hour. It all depends," She re-adjusted her kimono. "You need to pay attention to the contractions you feel. Start to count how many minutes pass between them. The stronger they get, the closer the time for the baby,"

Kaoru nodded. She was nervous. Kenshin must have sensed this because he took both her hands in his, rubbing his thumb over her hands and kissing the back of her head. He was nervous too.

"I'm sure the baby of a legendary swordsman and a dojo sensei will be a healthy one," Megumi spoke aloud what they both had been thinking. One could hear them both exhale. Kaoru's breathing suddenly hitched and gripped Kenshin's hands in an iron hold.

"Kaoru?" Kenshin said, squeezing her hand gently.

"This one, it was stronger," she said. One of Megumi's delicate eyebrows rose. She had only been there a few minutes, and already Kaoru's contractions where speeding up. She hoped the midwife would come soon.

"I can't wait Kenshin. Our child will be here so soon," Kaoru whispered warmly. She could remember a few months earlier when she had first felt the child inside her move. It had been a soft kick, but she had been so excited that she started to cry. Kenshin, the worrier he was, had rushed in, only to find his hand placed on his wife's stomach and felt his unborn child move within her.

"Have you thought of names?" Megumi asked.

"I have; I was thinking-" Kaoru took a sharp intake of breath and whimpered it out. A tear fell down her cheek. Megumi checked her pulse and found it racing. Giving Kenshin a hard look, she then stood up.

"Sir Ken, I'll be right back I think I heard the midwife," she said and left the room. Kenshin nodded in response, only to hear Kaoru whimper in pain.

"Kaoru?!" Kenshin spoke, his eyebrows knitted with worry. She was beginning to sweat a little. "Breath Kaoru," he coaxed "Breath," Kenshin wasn't quite sure if he was talking to Kaoru…or himself.

"Kenshin…" she whined as a contraction took over. Kenshin grabbed her hands and kissed them.

"I'm here Kaoru," he smiled. "and soon will our baby," Kaoru smiled, but it was replace with a grimace.

This went on for another three hours; it must have been around 2 in the morning. Kenshin began to worry if Megumi was alright and were she had gone to. Kaoru had controlled her whimpering; but the occasional gasp. He knew that the time was coming. He only hoped the midwife would come or he'd be delivering his own child. It was then she let out a scream. Her grip on him would be painful if he wasn't so worried.

"Sir Ken!"

"Megumi! Hurry!"

The room door slid open and Megumi came in, followed by an elderly woman who Kenshin could only assume was the midwife. She smiled and bowed before sitting herself next to Kaoru.

"Mr. and Mrs. Himura I am Yamaguchi Naomi. How long has it been since the contractions started?" she asked.

"About four hours," Kenshin replied. Kaoru gave a loud wail that startled the midwife. Kaoru blushed as the midwife spread her legs. The elderly woman grunted and then looked up at Kenshin.

"Miss Takani could you please administer some pain medication? Mr. Himura, I need to you let your wife lay down and could you please fetch me some towels along with a cold wet rag?"

Kenshin moved away from Kaoru while helping her lay down. He put a soft pillow under her head in his place. Kenshin kissed her hand tenderly before leaving to get the towels. Megumi sprinkled a white powder into the cup of tea Kenshin brought earlier. Kaoru lifted her head to the offered cup and made a bitter face when she tasted the cold tea. Kenshin came back and handed the dry towels to the midwife while the put the wet rag over Kaoru's forehead. The midwife went to work pushing back Kaoru's yukata, arranging her legs, and setting the towels under her.

"Now in a few minutes Mrs. Himura, I will ask you to push. Only push when I say," she said as she checked Kaoru again for dilation. Kenshin seated himself beside Kaoru and took her hand. Megumi was kind enough to take Kaoru's other hand in hers. Kaoru stifled another scream as pain waved through her body.

"Alright, are you ready?"

"Y-y-e-e-sss,"

"Now push!"

Kaoru leaned forward and pushed her lower muscles as hard as she could. Suddenly a wave of pain hit her like never before, but she fought against it and pushed even harder to bring her child into the world. She was starting to see black spots.

She pushed.

She pushed even more.

"Breath Kaoru!" Megumi yelled, seeing her face turn a dark shade of red. Kaoru gasped a breath of air and fell back.

"One more try, we're almost there,"

"Come on Kaoru," Kenshin said as he held onto her hand. Kaoru sat up and then pushed with all her might. She began to feel the sensation of her child leaving her body.

"I see the head!"

"Almost there Kaoru!"

"Just a little more…"

"There!"

The sensation of the child leave her body caused utter relief and Kaoru fell back onto the futon. She felt the sweat fall down her face, only to have it wiped away by Megumi. Everything was done and over, but something felt wrong. Shouldn't the baby be crying?

"Kenshin?"

"Why isn't it crying?" he asked. Her husband wasn't looking at her. He was staring, transfixed. The midwife held their child in her arms, but the baby wasn't crying. She was cleaning away the mucus and blood.

"My baby…" Kaoru whimpered, tears welling in her eyes. It was then the midwife carefully turned the infant over and…

_SMACK_

Like the sound of bells, the loud shrill of her child rang through the house. This caught Kenshin totally off guard and glared daggers at the midwife.

"Now I understand," Megumi said. The midwife smiled to the young doctor. "Smacking the baby releases the mucus in the baby's throat. Allowing it to breath," Kaoru exhaled loudly and closed her eyes; savoring the sound of her child.

"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Himura," the midwife said. She carefully handed the child over to Kenshin, who took the small bundle in his arms. He was in aw as he realized the child in his arms was their own. A smile crept across Kenshin's tired features.

"Kaoru,"

Kaoru's eyes opened, and what she saw was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. There was Kenshin, holding their child in his arms, his eyes full of fatherly pride. She could see her little one squirming in its father's arms and her heart swelled.

"We have a son Kaoru,"

"A baby boy?" Kaoru smiled, tears falling. She began to sit up, Megumi piling pillows behind her to rest on. She held her arms out to hold her newborn. Kenshin moved beside her and handed her the baby.

"Oh Kenshin…" The small baby boy had a fuzz of reddish-brown hair and beautiful dark blue eyes. _He will grow up to look like Kenshin_. Kaoru thought. She kissed her baby's head.

"Our little Kenji," Kenshin said, letting his son hold onto his finger. Little Kenji was looking up at his parents in aw, making little baby noises here and there.

"Kenji?" Megumi questioned. Kaoru nodded.

"We decided on a name a while ago. I had a feeling it would be a boy,"

"I see,"

"Mrs. Himura, you'll need to start feeding the baby soon," the midwife reminded her with a knowing smile. Kaoru didn't know if she blushed or not, her face was already red from labor. Kaoru looked helplessly over at the midwife, not knowing what to do exactly.

"Let me help you,"

She instructed that Kaoru must breast feed Kenji everyday. Kaoru felt a little embarrassed as the midwife pulled aside her yukata and exposed her swollen right breast. She also helped guide Kenji to the nipple, where after a couple moments, latched on and began to feed. Kaoru smiled. Kenshin was in bewilderment as he watched his son take nourishment from his wife.

"Congratulations to you both," Megumi said with a smile and bowed before them. Kenshin bowed back and offered this thanks to her as well. He then turned to the midwife.

"I thank you for helping Kaoru," Kenshin said, bowing low to the ground. "Is there any chance you may stay for dinner tomorrow?" he offered. The midwife blushed and waved a hand.

"Oh what a kind offer but I must say no. It was my pleasure to help you,"

Kenshin smiled. Now he felt pure happiness. He settled himself next to Kaoru, who was now gazing at him with a smile. The midwife quietly set about cleaning things, Megumi packing up as well. They both left within the half hour, leaving the happy family to themselve

* * *

"Is this the new baby?"

"Oh congratulations!"

"He's adorable!"

"…"

"Geeze Missy, so it was you who woke me up last night?"

"Thank god he looks like Kenshin or he'd be one ugly baby lookin like you Kaoru!"

_SMACK-BAM!_

It was 1-2-3 when Yahiko and Sanosuke found themselves thrown half was across the yard. Its only been a half day after Kaoru's hard labor, and she still can pitch a full grown man and a half-grown kid. You could almost see the steam come from her ears…

It was mid-afternoon when Misao and Aoshi came to visit the new baby Himura. They originally got the news that Kaoru went into labor earlier that morning, but couldn't make it in time. It was a shock to see Misao though, it seems in the few months they last saw each other, she's grown up. Abandoned was the old blue ninja garb, now she sported a beautiful blue kimono decorated with little sunflowers. At the moment, she was googling over baby Kenji who was being held by Kenshin. Both Himura parents decided Misao wasn't quite there to hold their infant…

"It's true though, Kenji's going to look a lot like Kenshin," Misao said as she let Kenji grab her finger, which she squealed in delight.

"Yeah I know," Kaoru said with a smile. Kaoru leaned into her husband with a content smile. Kenshin was silent, still reveling in his head that it was _his_ son he was holding in his arms. The chatter around him seemed to quiet down…snow began to fall. A smile crept across his face as he could see the white angel before him.

"_Tomoe,"_

Tomoe smiled at him. Her dark eyes sparkled as she saw the little bundle in his arms.

"_Kenshin, he is beautiful,"_ she said in her small voice. Kenshin nodded his head. Although Tomoe was his past, he could never forget her. Kaoru was his future, as well as Kenji. Tomoe gracefully glided to Kenshin and rested a hand on Kaoru and Kenji.

"_Take care of what's precious Kenshin. I will always watch over them and you," _

Then she was gone. Gone was the snow. Gone was the quiet. Gone was Tomoe.

But now is Kaoru, now is Kenji.


End file.
